AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine Republicans hope to spark some interest among rank-and-file party members by returning to a local caucus system for the purpose of selecting delegates to the national convention.
State party Chairman Rick Bennett says the change will allow more Republicans to participate in the delegate selection process that formerly took place at the state convention.
Some young Republicans who supported Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul in 2012 and thought the party should be more inclusive are hailing the change as a step forward.
Four years ago, the Maine Republican Party was left in tatters after a state convention that pitted longtime GOP insiders against a bunch of young upstarts who favored Paul.
State chair Charlie Webster resigned amid a storm of criticism and the reins were turned over to former Maine Senate President Rick Bennett.
Most party insiders agree he has brought a more inclusive approach to Republican activities. And Bennett says the decision to allow for the selection of next year's national convention delegates at the local caucus level is yet another effort to energize the Maine GOP.
"So this will really inspire a lot of grassroots activists to get involved in the presidential campaigns, hopefully with some of the candidates actually present in Maine," Bennett says.
Not only that, but it will be happening during a presidential election year that historically favors Democrats in Maine.
In addition to the caucuses, the GOP is also planning to put two citizen initiative ballot questions out to the voters next November to get out the vote among Republicans who might not be inspired by the party's presidential choice.
The questions will deal with two bedrock Maine GOP issues — welfare reform and tax reform — and should be a reliable stimulus at the polls.
Meanwhile, Bennett is hoping the party's presidential choices will bring voters out to their local caucuses, especially young voters who have been turned off by the way national convention delegates were formerly selected.
"It's much more direct than this process where you have to elect candidates to the state convention who support your candidate and then those people will get together at the state convention and elect delegates to the national convention who will support your candidate — so this is a much more direct and understandable process," Bennett says.
"I think that the move to caucuses is a very smart move and it is in fact democratic in the sense that anyone who wants to attend, can," says Sandy Maisal, Colby College political science professor.
He says caucuses allow party activists to have a direct say in the process and that the decision should have a direct effect on increases voter participation.
Maisal says he believes that a rift still exists between the establishment and young GOP voters, who would prefer to stake out firm ideological positions on national issues rather than work through compromises.
David Boyer, a young Portland Republican who was a director for the Paul campaign four years ago, says there was some alienation in the aftermath of a GOP national convention that saw Paul's delegates from Maine unseated after allegations of illegal voting. But he also says the party's decision to hold local caucuses for selecting national delegates should instill more confidence in the process.
"All the caucuses will be on one day and the straw poll will be a binding poll, and I think that will help generate interest among the candidates and activating the grassroots and getting their people out to the caucuses to vote," Boyer says. "I think there will be more security about the ballot process."
The presidential nominating caucuses will be held throughout the state on March 5, 2016.